Group: Hardware/Computers/e-readers

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Revision as of 16:43, 24 March 2018 by GNUtoo2 (talk | contribs) (→‎Bad candidates)
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Rationale

This page aims to document which existing ebook readers could become RYF certified without too much work. This is to see what the pros and the cons of liberating an existing e-reader versus making one.

Existing hardware

Hardware Requirements

Basic requirements

  • No WiFi unless the Wifi chip works with free software.
  • Free boot software or the ability to easily port one to the e-reader.
    • If the code is signed, the system on a chip should have hardware flaws to enable users to bypass it. Some old I.MX are affected by that.
    • If there is no free software, enough documentation should be available as source code to enable porting an existing bootloader to it.
  • Enough RAM to run free software operating systems.

Requirements to do hardware support work faster

Since e-readers without WiFi or telephony network connection are old, the software they come with and the corresponding source code is also really old. To be able to use modern GNU/Linux or Android distribution on them, the source code needs to be used to add support for the device in recent hardware support software such as Linux or free software boot software like u-boot.


Software support that helps:

  • Most of the hardware of the device already supported by upstream projects (Linux and a free software bootloader).

Hardware features that helps:

  • Serial port that is easy to access
  • Booting the Bootloader from the USB or serial port
  • Ethernet (unlikely to be found on such devices)

Additional requirements

  • More RAM is better: Devices with not enough RAM may not be able to use modern FSDG distributions. Creating a specific distribution for such devices would require someone to maintain it.
  • Touchscreen: This enables to use most of the GNU/Linux applications and alleviate the need for custom software that works with buttons only.
  • CPU that is supported by FSDG distributions or the ability to support the CPU with very few maintenance cost.

Issues

  • Hardware availability: Older models are not manufactured anymore, and some vendors even went bankrupt.
  • Batteries: Batteries might need to be changed. The availability and compatibility of replacements were not researched yet. We need your help to do it.

Software

Operating systems and distributions

Distribution Architectures RAM Requirements work required to add a device Self hosting FSDG compliant
Parabola

Packages:

? (low)
  • Add bootloader package
 Yes Yes
GuixSD

Packages:

Requires (cross) compilation:

? (low)
  • Add bootloader package
 Yes Yes
LibreCMC

Packages:

Requires (cross) compilation:

? (lowest)
  • Add device target, bootloader and kernel configuration
 No Yes
Replicant

Requires (cross) compilation:

  • ARM (Which version? Which requirements?)
  • Not sure about other architectures
 424M for Android 6.0 (High)
  • Add device git repository, kernel, bootloader
 No Yes

e-ink displays

e-ink displays have a huge latency. I'm not sure if special software is needed to handle it or if Linux standard e-ink drivers are enough. Available software:

  • F-droid has a laucnher for e-ink displays

Reader software

  • Off the shelf free software pdf readers (check RAM usage)
  • FBReader
  • Calibre

Hardware

Good candidates

This list devices that:

  • can run free boot software, potentially with some work
  • don't have WiFi (or have a WiFi chip that works with free software)
Board Vendor Product SOC RAM Display Touchscreen developement facilities source code Ammount of work required for upstreaming Ammount of work for RYF Issues References
Story HD iRiver Story HD (Basic) NXP (formerly Freescale) I.MX508 128MB e-ink
  • TODO: Find how to boot the bootloader through USB on this device (boot modes + software to use)
  • TODO: Find the serial port
 iRiver source code for Story HD Basic:
  • Upstream to the devicetree (fast)
  • TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream
  • Port it to a bootloader (uboot or barebox)
  • TODO: Display type
  • GPU?
  • Video decoding offload?
  • Low ammount of RAM
? Sony PRS-600 NXP (formerly freescale) I.MX31 128MB e-ink ?
  • Finish porting the I.MX31 to devicetree
  • Port the device hardware support code to devicetree
  • TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream
  • Port the bootloader code to a standard bootloader (u-boot or Barebox)
  • TODO: Display type
  • GPU?
  • Video decoding offload?
  • Low ammount of RAM
EB600
  • Kobo eReader
 Samsung S3C2440AL-40 32MB e-ink
  • Serial port pads known
  • JTAG pinout known
 ?
  • Port the S3C2440AL to the devicetree
  • Port the devices to the devicetree
  • TODO: look if devices drivers are upstream
  • Port it to a bootloader (uboot or barebox)?
  • Very low ammount of RAM

Bad candidates

Board Vendor Product SOC RAM Display Touchscreen developement facilities source code Ammount of work required for upstreaming Ammount of work for RYF Issues References
A6 series
  • Jinke A6 series
 Samsung <?> (Arm9 400MHz) 128M ? ? ? ?
  • Has WiFi
Boox 60
  • Onyx Boox 60
  • Wolder Boox
 I.MX31 128M ? ? ? ? ?
  • Both devices have WiFi
Story HD iRiver Story HD (WiFi) NXP (formerly Freescale) I.MX508 128MB e-ink ? ? iRiver source code for Story HD WiFi:
  • Linux
  • Bootloader?
  • Write a Free firmware for the WiFi chip used in this device
  • Has WiFi
  • Low ammount of RAM

Being evaluated

Board Vendor Product SOC RAM Touchscreen developement facilities source code Ammount of work required for upstreaming Ammount of work for RYF Issues References

See also

Building hardware

Considerations

Components

System on a chip and associated companion chips

Vendor Product Minumum quantities Available until RYF issues Linux upstream status Bootloader upstream status Companion chips
NXP I.MX 25 ? ? No issues Mostly complete Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?) ?
NXP I.MX 51 ? ? ?

Issues:

  • GPU
  • Video decoding offload

Optional:

Mostly complete Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?) ?
NXP I.MX6Q ? ?

Issues:

  • GPU (WIP)
  • Video encoding/decoding offload processor

Optional:

  • SDMA should work with in-rom firmware
 Mostly complete Mostly complete? (bareobx?, u-boot?) ?
Allwinner A20 ? ?
  • GPU (WIP)
  • Video encoding/decoding offload processor (WIP)
 very few missing drivers ? ?
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